January 22, 2013 - St. Vincent's Day in Valencia, Spain

Ahh,
Valencia! What can you say about a place that hosts a huge annual
tomato fight? La Tomatina involves around 40,000 people hurling 150,000 tomatoes at each other for one hour! (The tomatoes are grown
specially for the event and are of inferior taste. Also, participants
wear goggles and crush the tomatoes before throwing them to maximize
mess while minimizing injury!)

Valencia
is also known for the delicious rice dish paella, fried sweet
bunuelos, and Spanish omelets.

It
is known for the Falles—a 10-day festivalwith
parades and music, fireworks and amazing street lighting, floral
offerings and burning large community- built papier-mache statues.

Valencia
also has Roman ruins, medieval towers, and old forts along the edge
of the sea. The city's cathedral displays what it claims is the Holy
Grail (although several places make the same claim).

Spain
is more decentralized than most nations, because a lot of
governmental power rests, not at the central national level, but at
the level of communities and cities. In Spain there are currently 17
autonomous communities and two autonomous cities called autonomies.

Autonomous
means having the freedom to act independently and govern itself.

...and the new...

One
of these autonomous communities is Valencia. The capital city of
Valencia is named Valencia as well; it is the largest city in
Valencia and the third largest city in all of Spain. The autonomous
community of Valencia has a long coastline on the Mediterranean Sea,
and the city of Valencia is the busiest European port on the
Mediterranean.

To
answer the question, “which Valencia?”:

the
giant tomato fight is held annually in August in the town of Bunol,
in the autonomous community of Valencia.

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This site is designed to be a source of interesting articles for kids and a resource for teachers and parents (especially homeschool teacher/parents!). From world holidays to historical anniversaries, Every Day Is Special celebrates each and every day.